My Refrigerator Turned Into A Dungeon
Chapter 296

Drunken Ria-san

“What the heck is that monster they call an Orc!? That’s no wild beast; it’s a sumo wrestler in the wild!!”

Ria-san slammed an ochoko down on the counter with a loud thud! The owner tried to calm her down with a gentle, “Now, now.”

Yeah, Ria-san was in a rare form today.

Before drinking, she’d politely said, “I’d like you to humor my complaints today,” but once she started, it was clear she’d been bottling up a lot. She guzzled down her sake and started ranting non-stop.

“Hmm, that sounds awful! What kind of monster is this Orc, anyway?”

Meanwhile, I played the role of listener, skillfully refilling her drink to draw out more information.

“It’s an absolutely outrageous monster... Big, strong, and seasoned in combat. But that’s not all—those things bite people mid-fight and devour them…”

Remembering the scene must have unsettled her because Ria-san’s face grew darker and darker as she sank into silence.

Humanoid monsters were considered especially dangerous, so the Self-Defense Forces prioritized exterminating them. But a wild sumo wrestler, huh? And not just any rank—this thing was likely stronger than even the lower-tier wrestlers.

Ria-san really hit the nail on the head with that analogy.

By the same logic, Zhu Bajie from Journey to the West is also a pig-man yaoguai. If that’s the case, Zhu Bajie must’ve been a yokozuna-level monster.

While I was lost in these thoughts, the owner leaned in and whispered urgently, “(Hey, hey!)” careful not to let Ria-san notice.

“Huh?”

She gestured subtly at Ria-san, signaling something was wrong.

Crack!

Before I could react, Ria-san crushed the ochoko in her hand.

“Whoa, Ria-san! You’re gripping too hard—you’re bleeding!”

“Ah… Sorry, I was so deep in thought I didn’t notice…”

“Mmm… Yeah, it’s tough, isn’t it? The SDF can’t even run unless they’re given orders from above.”

“...”

The owner’s comment made Ria-san scowl in silence again. It seemed like this struck a nerve as well.

I signaled to the owner with a finger over my lips, indicating not to push further. She caught on, crossing her fingers in front of her mouth in a silent apology.

“Alright, Ria-san, let’s treat your wound.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. A scratch like this will heal in no time.”

That’s such a dungeon-capable mindset. Still, Ria-san had far too many injuries already.

“No, no. If you’re injured all over, the healing process will only slow down. Come on, let me apply some medicine—show me your arm.”

“…”

Reluctantly, Ria-san extended her right arm. Unwrapping the bandage on her forearm revealed a deep, nasty gash with blood seeping from the torn flesh.

(Ugh, that’s bad!)

The owner promptly brought over a first-aid kit, but I chose to pull out some houttuynia tincture instead.

“Ria-san, did you know? For dungeon-capable individuals, this houttuynia tincture works wonders on wounds.”

As I began treating her injury, Ria-san suddenly grabbed my arm tightly.

“Huh, Ria-san!?”

“It’s you! You were there, weren’t you…!”

“Uh? What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb! I mean that high school!!”

“Oh… Yeah, I was there.”

“I knew it… So it really was you!”

“And what about it?”

“You held the line until we arrived, didn’t you? Because of you, so many lives were saved! Thank you!!”

Letting go of my wrist, she shifted to a handshake and bowed deeply.

Uh… I don’t think I’m deserving of that gratitude.

After all, Ria-san had it so much harder.

It’s clear just from her injuries…